Jewish Dems: Gov. Jeb! Bush No Fit for Jewish Community

June 15, 2015

Six months after announcing that he would “actively explore” running for president, former Florida Governor Jeb! Bush announced that he will, in fact, seek to follow in his father and brother’s footsteps by being the third Bush to seek the office. The National Jewish Democratic Council criticized Gov. Bush, noting that his history of extreme actions stands at odds with his attempts to brand himself as a moderate, compassionate conservative.

“Jeb! Bush is attempting to paint himself as a ‘compassionate conservative’ who puts the middle-class and those in need first, but it won’t work. Like his brother and father before him, Jeb Bush will seek to implement policies that prioritize the wealthiest among us and make our nation worse-off. As governor, Jeb Bush sought restrictions on abortion and other women’s health issues that ‘shocked’ Florida officials, fought against legal protections for LGBT workers, implemented economic policies that made Florida one of the country’s most unequal states, and oversaw the disenfranchisement of thousands of African-American voters during the controversial 2000 presidential election that saw his brother voted into office. Famously, Jeb Bush’s actions while attempting to force doctors to keep Terri Schiavo alive after being pronounced brain-dead – against the wishes of her husband – had no justification outside of placating his far-right supporters. In his 1995 book, Jeb Bush suggested that subjecting single mothers to public humiliation would be an effective way to prevent pregnancies ‘out of wedlock.’ Despite his desires to be his ‘own man,’ Jeb Bush has utterly failed to differentiate himself from his brother’s foreign policies that led the country into a failed and misguided war in Iraq. American Jewish voters are looking for someone who represents their views on the major issues facing our country, from economic equality to keeping our citizens safe and secure. Just as his father and brother were unable to deliver on those promises, Gov. Jeb Bush is no fit for the American Jewish community.”